Textile fiber article and method of producing same



April 1966 K. o. PRESTON 3,

TEXTILE FIBER ARTICLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Jan. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. A Z/TH Q PRESTO/V BY W; Y W

A r Tom/5V5 April 19, 1966 K. o. PRESTON 3,246,855

TEXTILE FIBER ARTICLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Jan. 31, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. KE/ TH 0. PIP/5570M 4 T TURN-E Ys the rotating tube. element from which glass yarns and rovings are formed ages.

United States Patent 3,246,855 TEXTILE FIBER ARTECLE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Keith 0. Preston, North Providence, R.I., assignor to Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 341,515 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) In many industries textile fibers, such as fibrous yarns, are employed as a reinforcing medium for other materials. For example, in the packaging field, fibrous yarns are commonly used in the laminating with paper to form an especially strong composite product. The textile fibers referred to in the invention encompass a number of organic, inorganic, natural and synthetic materials including cotton, asbestos, wool, nylon, rayon, acrylic, and polyester fibers among others. However, this invention will be described with reference to textile fibers of glass.

Textile fibers of glass are produced by melting glass in a bushing or feeder which has a plurality of minute orifices in the bottom portion thereof. The molten glass into continuous filaments and wound upon a rotating forming tube or package disposed beneath the bushing.

The continuous filaments are gathered in groups or strands of, for example, from 51 filaments to 408 filaments, be-

fore they are collected as a multi-filament strand upon Such multi-filament strand is the basic by collecting twisting, plying, etc. to construct any of a number of textile forms adapted to satisfy the demands of the particular end uses.

The glass fiber material used in the paper industry, for

I example, is typically transferred from the forming tubes or package onto another spool or collecting package to ferred from several packages onto other collecting pack- For example, a twisting machine may be utilized for applying twist to two, hundred or more strands simultaneously and the strand or linear material payed out from a like number of forming tubes or packages of the material supported upon a rack or creel.

In commencing the transfer operation, the operator re moves a length of yarn from the forming tube or package and winds it around the base of the collecting package spool or spindle leaving a sufficient length of the material to fold around the bottom spindle flange to the exposed under surface of which it is adhesively secured. The peripheral portion of the flange of the spool has a notch within which the bend of the yarn seats. This length of yarn is referred to as a transfer tail for jointure to the opposite end of yarn on another complete package. This allows a smooth transfer of yarn from one package to another, thereby enabling the user to employ a continuous length of yarn in the reinforcement operation.

As the transfer operation commences, the rotating collecting spools or spindles are driven at very high speeds thus exposing the glass fiber transfer tail portion to high centrifugal forces which not infrequently fray or break them. A broken or frayed transfer tail portion renders the entire package useless because the material cannot be properly attached or spliced to the end of another package.

Additionally, the transfer tail portion frequently is broken or frayed during the time the completed package is exposed to elevated temperatures to dry the material. During this heat treatment, the cylindrical portion of the collecting spindle tends to shrink away from the yarn thereby placing the transfer tail under stress each time the tube is handled causing frequent breakage thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of rendering the transfer tail portion of a strand or yarn package free from fraying or breaking.

Another object of the invention is to produce a new and improved package of textile fiber material having a transfer tail portion which is flexible, protected from damage, does not stick to adjacent fibers, and transfers easily even after the package has been-exposed to heat treatment.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a twister or twist frame apparatus employed in forming packages of twisted textile fiber yarn;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic illustration in perspective showing one method of applying a coating to the transfer tail portion of a textile fiber material prior to its being transferred from a forming tube to the bobbin of the completed collecting package; and

FIGURE 3 is a bottom perspective view of a complete collecting package illustrating the disposition of the transfer tail portion of the textile fiber material thereon.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a twister or twist frame apparatus 10 for twisting or plying textile fiber strands or yarns and packaging the same. The twister 10 comprises a frame having end plates or sections 12, one of which is illustrated, joined together by a creel arrangement 14, a spindle rail 16, and other suitable framing elements (not shown). The twister is adapted for twisting or plying filamentary materials formed of glass fibers or filaments previously collected upon cylindrically-shaped tubes or sleeves 18. Strands of the fibrous material are wound upon the tubes or sleeves 18 to form packages 19 as the fibers or filaments are initially attenuated and formed.

Textile fibers 20 from the packages 19 pass downwardly through respective guiding eyelets 22 and over feed rolls 24. The feed rolls 24 are driven by a common shaft 26 which extends between and is journalled within the frame end sections 12 and is coupled through a suitable power train to an electric motor 28. From the feed rolls 24 the textile fibers 20 then pass through guide eyelets 30 respectively and are wound upon bobbin 32 which are telescopingly mounted on spindles 34. The spindles 34 are caused to rotate by spindle drive pulleys 36 which are driven by an endless drive belt 33. The belt 38 is driven by a pulley 40 coupled through a suitable power train to the motor 28. Each spindle 34 and its associated drive pulley 36 is rotatably mounted on the spindle rail 16. The spindles 34 extend upwardly through openings in a ring rail 42 which is typically generally U-shaped in cross section.

Adjacent each of the openings in the ring rail 42, there is a twisting ring 44, which is provided with a traveler 56 of the conventional type. In operation the leading ends 50 of the textile fibers 20 are fed respectively through the travelers 46 before being initially wound upon bobbins 32 and While the associated spindles 34 are stationary. After the leading ends 56 of the textile fibers 20 have been suitably secured to their respective bobbins 32, the spindles 34 are caused to be rotated to wind the textile fiber 20 into packages 48 as will be explained hereinafter.

The textile fibers 20 from the forming tube mounted packages 19 are wound on the bobbins 32 for building the packages 48 of twisted strand or yarn. To achieve the desired twisting and packaging of the textile fiber material 20 for building the yarn package 48, there is relative vertical movement effected between the bobbins 32 and the ring rail 42. This relative movement may be effected either by raising and lowering the ring rail in relation to the spindle support rail 16, or by raising and lowering the spindle support in relation to the ring rail, or by combined movements of the spindle support rail and the ring rail.

The leading end portion 50 of the textile fibers 20 is commonly referred to as the transfer tail because it is the portion of the fiber material which is usually connected by splicing or otherwise to the opposite end of another package of yarn to form a continuous length of the material. This is particularly necessary and desirable in the paper industry where the material is used as a reinforcement for plyed paper. Attempts have heretofore been made to strengthen and protect the transfer tail without notable success.

The transfer tail 50 should have certain characteristics. It must be free from fraying, breaking, or other damage in order to enable it to be spliced. It must remain flexible even after being exposed to various treatments including elevated temperatures (typically a temperature of the order of 300 F.). Additionally, it must not stick to the bobbin or adjacent layers of textile fiber on the complete yarn package. Inasmuch as the textile material is to be used in combination with other products, protective coatings applied thereto have failed to satisfy all of the requirements due to the failure of coating materials to be compatible with the various products with which they are I to be integrated.

,using water soluble self-crosslinking vinyl acrylic latices manufactured and sold by the National Starch and Chemicals Corporation and commercially identified as Resyns 78-3210 and 252833. The transfer tail St is typically coated over a length of from about six inches to three and a half feet, but ordinarily only a sh-ort section need be coated to realize the advantages of the invention. The resin material was applied to the transfer tail 50, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, by tongs 60, equipped with a pair of absorbent pads 62. which had been dipped or immersed in a reservoir of the fluid resin. The tongs 69 were then positioned so that the pads 62 enveloped the textile fiber and were slid along the transfer tail 5% After the transfer tail 50 was coated, it was wrapped around the base portion of the cylindrical section 64 of the spindle 32, and then was passed through the notch 66 in the lower flange 68 of the spindle 32. Finally, the terminal end of the transfer tail was releasably secured to the under surface or exposed of the flange 68, as clearly illustrated in FIG- URE 3 After the transfer tail has been properly secured as above described, the twister apparatus is operated to form a complete package of twisted textile fiber yarn, as illustrated in FIGURE 3.

After the completed package, illustrated in FIGURE 3, is formed, it is subjected to a heat treatment which could be a dielectric method properly to dry the product and also cause the resin coating on the transfer tail 50 to cure or polymerize. This dielectric drying step tends to shrink the cylindrical portion 64 of the bobbin 32, which is commonly made of a paper material. This change in the physical dimension of the bobbin would normally impart sufiicient stress to the transfer tail St) to be responsible in many instances for damage to and breakage of the transfer tail. However, by suitably coating the material as explained above, the damage is substantially eliminated.

Although the method of applying the coating to the transfer tail 56 as illustrated in FIGURE 2 provides satisfactory results, many other methods could be substituted therefor, such as by the operator immersing his thumb and forefinger into a bath of resin and then manually wiping the leading end of the textile fiber.

It will be appreciated that the manner by which the coating process is accomplished is to a large exent dependent upon the nature of the coating material employed. In the event the coating material contained a substituent which was harmful to the human skin, the thumb and forefinger method described above would be seriously curtailed without employment of protective coverings.

From the above description it will be clearly manifest to those skilled in the art that l have produced a new and improved package of textile fiber material provided with a protected leading end which can be readily attached to the opposite end of a similar package and a method of producing same which is simple in form and may be economically practiced.

The method herein described clearly obviates the objections inherent in prior practice in the trade and which were previously mentioned.

What I claim is:

1. A method of packaging textile fiber strand material upon a spool having a cylindrical central section and a flange at one end thereof comprising coating the leading end portion of the textile fiber strand material with a protective coating;

winding the coated portion of the strand material about the base of the cylindrical section of said spool,

looping the extreme end of the strand material over the flange of said spool,

adhesively securing the extreme end of the strand material to the outer surface of the flange of said spool,

causing said spool to rotate about the central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical section of said spool,

and thereafter traversing the strand material relative to the cylindrical section of said spool to deposit layers of the strand material on said spool.

2 A package of multi-strand textile fiber yarn comprising:

a bobbin having at least an extended surface cylindrical body and a flat disc-shaped flange attached to one end of the cylindrical body, the flange having at least an upper surface and a lower surface, and a notch formed in the outermost free edge of the flange; I

textile fiber yarn wound upon the cylindrical body of said bobbin and adjacent the upper surface of the flange of said bobbin, the leading end of said yarn being wrapped at least partially around the cylindrical body, extending through the notch formed in the flange of said bobbin and adjacent the lower surface of the flange of said bobbin;

an abrasion resistant protective coating disposed on the leading end of said textile fiber yarn to militate against the breaking of said yarn in the region of the notch formed in the flange of said bobbin; and

means for releasably securing the leading end of said yarn to the lower surface of the flange of said bobbin.

5 3. A package of multi-strand textile fiber yarn as defined in claim 2 wherein said protective coating is a carboxylated acrylic resin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,995 7/ 1936 Clinton 242125.1 2,219,836 10/1940 Dunlap 242-11832 2,220,529 11/1940 Lahr 242118.3 X

6 2,800,290 7/1957 Hess 242-465 3,064,911 11/1962 Truittetal. 242--173X 3,079,104 2/1963 Cochran 242-118.32X

FOREIGN PATENTS 940,342 10/1963 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF PACKAGING TEXTILE FIBER STRAND MATERIAL UPON A SPOOL HAVING A CYLINDRICAL CENTRAL SECTION AND A FLANGE AT ONE END THEREOF COMPRISING COATING THE LEADING END PORTION OF THE TEXTILE FIBER STRAND MATERIAL WITH A PROTECTIVE COATING; WINDING THE COATED PORTION OF THE STRAND MATERIAL ABOUT THE BASE OF THE CYLINDRICAL SECTION OF SAID SPOOL, LOOPING THE EXTREME END OF THE STRAND MATERIAL OVER THE FLANGE OF SAID SPOOL, 